Kurt

The next morning I checked my emails to find I had an email from Coach Beiste. I hoped she had news of who it was. I opened up the email and read it.

I've spoken to Figgins and he's given me permission to look at the CCTV footage. I'll look through them and I'll see if I recognise anybody going into the locker room after Dave. I'll have to talk to the police about it too and show them the footage as evidence. I'll keep you updated on it.

I hoped that she'd email me soon, but in the mean times I texted Dave to tell him that she'd got permission to watch the footage. I then walked to the kitchen to get myself some breakfast. I found Finn in the kitchen, holding up a packet of bacon with a confused expression on his face.

"Don't hurt yourself," I joked and his eyes flickered towards me.

"Dude, what the hell do these symbols mean?" he asked, turning the packet slightly sideways.

"Oh, Finn! You're hopeless. Here let me do it," I said and went and took the packet from him. I put him some bacon under the grill and began making my own breakfast – porridge with chopped fruit.

"How can you eat that stuff? It's so icky," complained Finn but I just laughed at him.

"It's good for you! Way better than bacon anyway."

"But bacon tastes good! That stuff looks like it tastes awful!"

"It's lovely. No stop moaning about my breakfast! You don't have to eat it," I whined but smiled at him anyway.

"I haven't spoken to you properly in ages, Kurt. I miss your girly rants." I gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder and he laughed at me.

"They're not girly! And I haven't really spoken to you recently. You're always being pulled off somewhere by Rachel, I'm normally with Dave. Maybe I could bring him over sometime. I don't think Azimio has him round as often to play video games anymore," I told him.

"Yeah, he's good too. Well, better than you but that's not particularly hard..."

"Shut up! I kick your butt at video games!"

"Lies! But how is he anyway? Mercedes said he got beat up," he said and I remembered I hadn't actually told him what happened.

"Mhmm. After school in the locker room some guys jumped him and beat him up. He was knocked out for about 6 hours. They didn't do any serious damage but they could have done. Now he's just aching and bruised in a lot of places. Oh and his arm. They cut the word 'fag' into his arm," I told him. He stood with his mouth hung slightly open. I went on to turn his bacon over and chop up a banana for my porridge.

"Dude, what the fuck?" was all Finn said and I just bit my lip and nodded at him. "Who would do that? That's... barbaric!"

"Barbaric?" I said, shocked at the use of a word like that by Finn.

"I've been watching Harry Potter and The Philosopher's Stone," Finn told me. I laughed at him.

"Good choice. Hermione does have a particularly exceptional vocabulary."

"But seriously dude! Do they know who it is? Are they going to arrest them? C'mon they have to arrest them. If it could have been worse!"

"They don't know who it is. Coach Beiste is watching the CCTV to see if you recognises anybody, but until then no one can do anything about it," I said. I took out Finn's bacon which was now sizzling greasily on the grill pan, and passed it over so he could do what ever he was going to do with it. Apparently make a bacon sandwich.

"Well they better find out who it is. That's just sick. I mean, what would have happened if that had been you? I'd have honestly killed them!"

"I think I'm honestly going to kill them anyway," I whispered. I sat down at the breakfast bar with Finn and began eating my porridge.

"Don't get yourself hurt, Kurt. If they can take Dave down then they'll take you down easily."

"I won't get myself hurt, don't worry. But they are going to pay for this!"

"Woah. Angry Kurt. I think I need to get out before you start throwing chairs at me!" Finn joked and I frowned at him.

"Would I ever do something so unattractive?" I said.

"True true. You'd never do anything considered unattractive in your life," he said. I smiled at him but was interrupted from what I was about to say by my phone alerting me I had an email. I unlocked my phone and opened my emails to see that it was from Coach Beiste.

I've looked at the footage and there are 4 of them. I recognise them all. Christopher Strando, Shane Tinsley, Anthony Rashad and Azimio Adams...

I stopped reading and looked at the names again. Azimio Adams? No. It can't be. I continued to read.

They're seen following Dave into the locker room. Rashad stayed outside, I guess as look out. About 10 minutes or so later they come back out without Dave and leave the school. Then about another 10 minutes later is when I come in. I'm going to talk to Figgins and the police and see what they can do. I'll keep you updated.

"Finn... What's Azimio's address?" I muttered calmly.

"What?"

"What's Azimio's address!" I demanded. Finn sat with wide eyes.

"Er. He lives on Blanford Avenue. 223 I think... why?"

I didn't give him an answer. Instead I stood up and rushed outside, grabbing my car keys on the way. He ran after me, grabbing his own house keys at the door, and managed to stop me outside my car.

"Dude, what's going on?"

"Azimio was involved. He helped beat Dave up. He's his best friend! He said he was fine with it! What the actual hell!"

"Woah, dude. Serious?" Finn's growled and rushed to the passengers side.

"What are you doing, Finn?" I asked him.

"I'm coming too. I'm not letting you go on your own."

I didn't even bother trying to argue, I just climbed in and sped off in the direction of the address Finn had provided me with. It wasn't far and when we got their Finn pointed out the house. As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out and ran to the front door, ringing the bell several times. Luckily, Azimio answered a few moments later, in a t-shirt and shorts.

"Hummel? What the hell are you doing here..." he started by I interrupted.

"YOU! You beat up Dave! You beat up your best friend!" I shouted stepping closer to him. I ignored that fact that, although we were similar heights, he was built like a brick wall and I was built more like a screen door. I didn't care if he hurt me. I was so angry.

"Wh-what?" he stammered, his eyes wide.

"It's on the CCTV footage! How could you even do such a thing? He trusts you!"

"Wait wait wait! Hummel you've got the wrong idea about this. I-I had to!"

"You had to? If no one had found him he could have bled to death! You could have killed him! How could you even say you had to!" I shouted.

Finn came to stand by my side, not bothering to hold me back and just frowning at Azimio. "Look, dude. Strando said if I didn't do it then they'd beat me up instead. It's not like I even beat him up! I just held him down. So you can't blame it on me!"

"You should have gotten beaten up instead. That's what Dave would have done if the roles were reversed!" I clenched my fists at my sides. I knew I could physically hurt him, but I hoped that if I scared him enough then he might back off.

"Look, I'm sorry. I panicked! I didn't know what to do!"

"You shouldn't be apologising to me. You should be apologising to Dave who had to spend over night in the hospital and now had scratches in his arm that spell out the word fag!"

"I honestly didn't know they were going to do that. I didn't think it would be that bad. I promise, otherwise I would have let them beat me up instead!"

"You should have. You might want to know that the police are getting involved. Stay away from Dave, okay?"

Azimio gulped and watched as Finn and I turned away and back to the car. I got in the passengers side and Finn took the hint by getting in the drivers side.

"Can you drive me to Dave's? I'll find my own way back," I asked him. He nodded and started the car, heading to Dave's house. I sat in my seat with my fist clenched in my lap, staring straight ahead into the distance. Finn and I didn't speak, I assumed he didn't want to set me off, so we just let the radio play. I didn't listen to the music in particular, I just continued staring straight ahead.

We pulled up at Dave's house and I got out, thanking Finn and telling him I'd be back later, before going to ring the doorbell. Lauren opened the door and I attempted a smile at her but she sensed something was up.

"Hey, Dave's still asleep I think. Come in. What's wrong?"

"They found out who did it," I told her and her eyes widened.

"Who was it? Anyone I know?"

"Christopher Strando, Anthony Rashad, Shane Tinsley and... Azimio Adams," I muttered.

Lauren went to say something when a voice from the top of the stairs interrupted.

"What?"

Dave

I woke up to the sound of the doorbell and rolled over to check my alarm clock. It was half 10 and I decided it was probably time to wake up anyway. I got out of bed and stepped out onto the landing, listening to see who it was.

"Come in. What's wrong?" I heard Lauren say.

"They found out who did it." That was Kurt's voice, but it sounded different. I realised he must be talking about who beat me up, which is probably why he sounded angry.

"Who was it? Anyone I know?" Lauren questioned.

"Christopher Strando, Anthony Rashad, Shane Tinsley and... Azimio Adams."

I stood at the top of the stairs, overwhelmed by shock and anger and disbelief.

"What?" I immediately growled and both Lauren and Kurt's heads snapped around to see me.

"Dave... I-"

"Did you just say Azimio Adams? What the … What?"

"I'm sorry Dave. Coach Beiste emailed me and I was angry too. I went to his house and I may have yelled at him a bit, but he was definitely involved," Kurt told me. I stared at him, not sure whether to cry or scream or shout.

"He said he was cool. He's meant to be my friend..." I whimpered, my voice cracking. The betrayal was kicking in and before Kurt or Lauren could comfort me I ran back to my room and slammed the door.